The Express Motors single-decker bus was gutted and left a mangled wreck after fierce flames took hold of it within minutes.

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Passengers were quickly evacuated to the road side.

Local man Peter Thornton said the service bus from Caernarfon - which wasn’t a school bus - was “labouring” to climb the hill around c and up to Fron.

Mr Thornton said: “My daughter had been sat at the back of the bus. She said it was getting very hot and then suddenly something exploded and the back of the bus burst into flames.

“The bus took only minutes before it was completely engulfed in searing flames and thick, toxic smoke.”

Mr Thornton believed that the engine could have overheated which led to the fuel igniting.

Mr Thornton added: “Two more small explosions were heard as the firefighters battled the blaze. These were thought to be caused by the tyres bursting.”

Julie Andrews, from Fron, said: “I catch this bus. The fire has taken out the phone lines overhead. It must be around 20ft. It’s melted the phone lines and my phone has gone down. The first thing I saw was some smoke and my horses started spooking. I could see a blue light flashing and the fire brigade. Then the flames went up and then just smoke. There’s nothing left of it, only a twisted mangled wreck.”

Alison Barker, from Upper Llandwrog, said: “We heard a noise. The back of the bus was in flames. There was a lot of black smoke. We could see the passengers and the driver moving away up the hill. All the bus windows cracked.

No-one was hurt in the incident but the road was closed while the fire fighters put the blaze out.

A Welsh Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “We were called at 2.59pm today, to reports a bus had caught fire between Rhosgadfan and Y Fron in Upper Llandwrog, Caernarfon, and a paramedic in a rapid response car attended."

No-one was hurt or taken to hospital.”

Bus operators Express Motors, Penygroes, said they did not yet know what had caused the fire and would carry out “a full investigation.”

A North Wales Fire Service spokeswoman said they sent two crews from Caernarfon to deal with the blaze.